The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-08-12

| tnat MIS-. COXeS WOru could be substantial
ted. Accordingly, that evening they gather
ed in her room, looped back the curtains and
took down all her dresses, SO that sounds
from the next room would be as little i'm
peded as possible. Then they sat down to
listen, talking meanwhile about what an in
famous creature the new boarder must be and
how they had always suspected there was
something wrong about Miss Paully, Just be-
cause she pretended always to be so correct
and proper and precise. when a woman
goes about as if she was walking on needles
and holds her mouth as if ii was full of pins"
said Miss Norman, emphatically, "and never
has hair OF her head out of place and never
makes slip in her grammar you may be
sure she's not quite as immaculate as she pre-
tends to be-"
But the next room was as quiet as the
grave. They talked and talked, and it grew
later and later, and they began to cast doubt
full glances upon Mrs. Coke and TO wonder
inwardly if she hadn't been fooling them
after all, when the lady who sat next the key
hole suddenly lifted warning finger. They
pressed eagerly around the doorway, and
there 1t was, the new boarder's voice just as
plain as could be, and speaking in the most
caressing and besecching tones
wont she talk some Tonight What
makes her so glum, anyway No? Well,
kiss me, then, won't you Come, now, that's
dear old girl, kiss fellow just once, real
nice"
There was slight pause and then an oath
that made the ladfes- catch their breatbs In
horror. something tutnbled over, there was
hasty tramping up and down the room for a
moment, they could hear few muttered
calculations that sounded very much like
swearing. and then everything was quiet
again. They looked al one another in min
ged triumph and mystiicaion. They had
undoubled proof of his nfamy--but it was
such mysterious infamy True, they had not
heard Miss PRullay's name, and had not
gained any additional evidence against her,
but one of the ladies emphalically declared
thai they didn't need any more evidence than
Mrs. Coke had given them, and they all made
haste TO join in her declaration. Still, to
clinch the matter and put it beyond all rea
sonable doubt, one of the ladies ran out and
knocked at her door, but she was not in.
"Of course she isn't. We knew that before"
was the contemptuous remark that greeted
the evidence-seeker as she returned
THE first thing we must do, ladies'" said
Miss Norman. sis to put this whole matter
before Mrs. Pragg and ask her if she can ex-
pect decent people to stay in the same house
with those abandoned wreichcs If she meets
the crisis with her usual indecision we can
tell her that SHE must choose between them
and u.s."
The next day they related all they had
heard TO Mrs Pragg, n nervous, worried
looking woman who spent half her life trying
to keep peace among her servants, and the
other half trying to pacify her boarders, and
usually got brow beaten on both sides. She
cried little, said il was hard to know who
was who nowadays, but that Miss Paulay
had been with her so long and she'd never
discovered the least thing out of the way
with her, and SO prompt about paying her
board, too
at seems she can afford to be-" snapped
one of the ladies' "We've questioned the
servants, Mrs. Pragg, and they say that Mr.
Simpson has had no visitors at all for the last
week, and that the only callers he has had
since lie has been here have been two gentle
men. Now, what more evidence do you
want against your precious Miss Paullay ?"
And as for Mr. Simpson, Mrs. Pragg went
on, ignoring the question; she really didn't
know what to say. He had come so well
recommended and he appeared to be such
nice gentleman, and he had the best room in
the house, too; really, it was very hard for
lone woman to know just what to do. So
she cried little more and said she really
couldn't believe such dreadful things of peo-
pie under her own roof until she had seen
with her own eyes and heard with her ears.
VERY well, Mra. Pragg," said Mrs. Coke,
''just come into my room tonight and you'll
hear enough TO convince even you"
But their Investigations were cut short that
very day by the return of Mrs. Simpson. II
was very pretty at dinner 10 see how de-
lighted her mddle-aged husband was to have
her back again. He beamed all over with
smiles, he made all manner of little Jokes
with her, he traded wltticisms with every
body near him, while his newspaper, the
usual companion of his meals, did not once
make its appearance.
"The hypocrte!' muttered Mrs. Coke to
Miss Norman. "The wretch p replied Miss
Norman. And there's that precious Miss
Paullay over there, looking as innocent as if
she'd never heard of new boarders. His wife's
nice-looking little woman. The poor, de-
ceived creature must know all about the mat
ter this very evening. IT'S heart-breaking
task, but we must do it because it's our duty.
For my part couldn't sleep tonight if l
didn't at once put before her the proofs of her
husbands infamy"
They all had similar premontiOns of in
somnia, and so after dinner they all went in
a body to the new boaders room. Mrs.
Simpson, looking the picture of happiness,
opened the door, and, though she was evil
IDENTIFY little surprised gave them pleas
ant welcome, said it was nice 10 be received
so cordially, SO different from the usual board
ing houses, tluttered about among them until
they were all comfortably seated, and then
sat down and chatted away so volubly and
so checrfully as if she were not confronted by
half dozen silent, unsmiling, determined
looking faces. They had neglected to ap-
point spokeswoman, and so they sat there
and fidgeted and threw meaning chances at
one another, and inwardly wondered with
growing irritation why nobody spoke. Fl.
nally, Mrs. Simpson, at her wits end 10 find
some subject that would provoke a response
from those solemn, preoccupied faces, ex-
claimed:
"Ob, must tell you, ladies, about the sur
prise my husband prepared for me and how
1t surprised him instead. If it hadn't hurt
him would think it good joke Have you
noticed that ugly cut on each side of his nose
to-day? Well, he bought parrot for me
day before yesterday" lat this mention the
looked confused0 with the assurance from
the dealer that it was perfectly docile, good |
natured bird, could talk well and kiss and
had many other little tricks. We'll, he brought
II home here, but not a sound could he get
out of it. That evening he coaxed and coaxed |
and put the cage in different parts of the
room, but the bird would do nothing at all
but stare at him. Last evening he tried |
again, and while he was trying to get 1t to |
kiss him the wretched thing grabbed his nose
and bit it right through p
"Yes," said Mr.. Simpson, taking up the
narrative, "and that made ME so angry that
kicked the cage over, wrung the parrots
neck and carried 'em both back 10 the dealer
this morning"
Ladies', guess we'd better CO." said Mrs. |
Coke, and they filed solemnly out, unheeding
Mrs Simpsons feeble objection that they had
not made half call